A new year means a new start. For San Antonio, 2022 marks the beginning of a smart start — with the installation of electronic water meters across the city.
San Antonio Water System’s Board of Trustees approved rollout of the ConnectH2O meter replacement program in December.
“The ConnectH2O program means that customers will have the data and power at their fingertips to better understand and control their water use,” said Mary Bailey, SAWS vice president of Customer Experience and Strategic Initiatives.
“This will allow customers to stop high bills in their tracks because they’ll have information even before their bill is generated.”
During pilot testing at 2,500 homes and businesses, the new meters helped alert more than 400 customers to possible leaks, saving water and helping limit high bills and prevent damage. They also lowered the number of in-person service calls by SAWS crews, thus reducing costs.
“This investment in technology is a tremendous step for SAWS and will help us become even more cost efficient,” said Board Chairwoman Jelynne LeBlanc Jamison. “Not only will customers have more tools to control their bills, but we’ll be able to reduce lost water, helping us meet ambitious water conservation goals that ensure plentiful water supplies for our growing city.”
Other benefits of the ConnectH2O electronic metering program:
- The new water meters use the same secure wireless network as CPS Energy, helping both utilities save money.
- Hourly water use can be tracked by customers via a secure, mobile- friendly website.
- The new ultrasonic meters have no moving parts, are more accurate, and won’t need to be replaced
as often.
SAWS aims to install about 65,000 electronic meters in 2022 beginning mid-year, and will continue until all 600,000 customer meters are replaced by the end of 2026. Total cost authorized for the new ConnectH2O metering program is $215 million.
More information on the ConnectH2O pilot, the technology of automated metering, and other frequently asked questions is available at saws.org/ConnectH2O.